Domaine Zind-Humbrecht : Riesling Grand cru "Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann" 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Riesling Grand Cru "Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann" 2023

Tasting

Colour
The glass reveals a bright, pale yellow colour with brilliant highlights.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet stands out for its intensity, revealing smoky notes and gunflint typical of its terroir. It is enriched with scents of aromatic herbs, spices, bergamot and black tea, underpinned by a minerality reminiscent of wet stone.

Palate
The palate offers a remarkable balance between power, richness and elegance. The texture is structured by a deep minerality and a lovely natural acidity that envelops discreet tannins. This perfectly dry wine stretches into an exceptionally long finish.

Food and wine pairing

Ideal with seafood, this wine beautifully complements oysters, crab, smoked fish, as well as grilled sea bass and scallops. It also pairs wonderfully with mildly spiced Asian cuisine, traditional Alsatian dishes such as baeckeoffe, flammekuchen or terrines, as well as with white asparagus, wild mushrooms and hard cheeses like a mature comté.

Service and storage

Boasting remarkable aging potential thanks to its mineral structure and acidity, this Riesling Grand Cru "Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann" 2023 can evolve very favourably in the cellar for several decades.

Other characteristics

This wine stands out for its perfectly dry profile, achieved through a very slow fermentation, and boasts an alcohol content of around 13%.

The volcanic expression of a great Alsace wine by Domaine Zind-Humbrecht

The estate

Founded in 1959 through the union of Léonard Humbrecht and Geneviève Zind, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht draws on a winegrowing heritage dating back to 1620. Located in Turckheim in Alsace, the estate spans approximately 40 hectares. Today, the estate is led by Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to become a Master of Wine, supported by his son Pierre-Émile and his wife Margaret. A pioneer of biodynamics, the estate is world-renowned for its respectful approach to living organisms, its carefully controlled yields and its commitment to letting each terroir express itself with great authenticity.

The vineyard

The wine comes from Clos Saint Urbain, a 5.5-hectare plot located within the Rangen Grand Cru, near Thann in Alsace. This spectacular terroir is the southernmost, highest and steepest in the region, with dizzying south-facing slopes. The vines, planted in 1963, thrive on a unique soil of sedimentary volcanic rock, rich in iron and magnesium, whose dark stones store heat to encourage a slow ripening of the grapes.

The vintage

The year began with a mild, dry winter, followed by a rainy spring that affected harvest volumes. These weather conditions helped shape a concentrated vintage, marked by lovely energy and great precision, offering more moderate alcohol levels than the previous year while preserving a highly expressive mineral backbone.

Winemaking and aging

The estate's philosophy favours minimal intervention. Fermentation of the Riesling Grand Cru "Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann" 2023 takes place very slowly, over a period of twelve to fifteen months, through the exclusive action of indigenous yeasts. The wine then undergoes extended aging on the lees for eighteen months in forty-year-old French oak foudres, preserving the purity of the fruit without imparting woody aromas, before bottling without aggressive clarification.

Grape variety

100% Riesling